In Sickness and in Health
by kate811
Summary: It turns out when you pass out in a hospital, they like to keep you for observation. Niles and CC's wedding night.


**Author's Note: I took artistic liberties with any medical stuff mentioned because I don't play by the rules. Dedicated to bogiedevil because I promised her my next fic would be dedicated to her for dealing with my insanity before we met Daniel Davis and Lauren Lane together. Enjoy!**

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 **In Sickness and in Health by Kate811**

She always knew she'd spend her wedding night in bed. She just didn't count on it being a hospital bed and hooked up to monitors and IVs. But as it turned out, hospitals had a tendency to take fainting very seriously when one of the patients was pregnant and the other had a heart history.

The pair regained consciousness right away to CC's worst nightmare: a gaggle of Sheffields and Fines surrounding them in a concerned huddle, the sound of wailing infants who unfortunately inherited their mother's adenoids providing the background music. Dr. Taylor managed to break through the human barricade and immediately began assessing the two. He was about to give Niles a clean bill of health (CC having no choice but to go get checked out) when Nanny Fine's piercing voice cut through the commotion to let the doctor know that Niles had suffered a previous heart attack.

Dr. Taylor looked at them ruefully and delivered the bad news. They'd both bought themselves tickets for overnight observation.

The couple was not about to spend the night apart and insisted if they had to be subjected to spending the night in the hospital, they could at least share a room. The doctor tried to object to a grown man being admitted to a maternity floor, but CC used all of her Broadway Producer charm (read: none) to demand they be placed together in the same room.

She glanced over to the left at her husband (her _husband_!) who was also hooked up to his own set of monitors and sporting a matching IV in his own hospital bed. As if he read her mind, Niles looked over and sheepishly smiled, holding up the hand with the IV. "This is just as nice as matching wedding bands, right?"

"Yep, and this jello is just as good as any wedding cake."

"And all these blasted monitors are as beautiful as any wedding song."

CC listened to the steady beeping of his heart monitor. "Okay, I was kidding about the jello, but that sound I actually really appreciate. Are you sure you feel okay?"

"CC, I'm fine. It was just shock, that's all. I should be asking YOU that question."

"I feel better. Look, I'm even keeping down this disgusting jello. I think it was just shock and probably dehydration from the morning sickness. Oh my god…morning sickness! Niles, I'm pregnant!" She sank back into her pillow as realization dawned on her.

"Yes, I was there," He said amusedly. "We got married, too, in case you forgot."

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I didn't forget. It's just…this is huge! There's so much to do! We need a house! We need a bigger car! We need-"

"Babcock, we have plenty of time! 9 months to be exact."

"9 months," she repeated in amazement. "Oh my god, Niles, we're having a baby! We've never even talked about this sort of thing. How did this happen?!"

"I know it's been several centuries since you were a schoolgirl, Babs, so I'll try to explain it slowly. You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they—"

"Very funny, Father Time. You know what I meant. Are you…are you happy with all of this?" She bit her lip worriedly and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Happy?" Niles laughed. "CC, I'm positively euphoric! I'm worried this is all a dream from whatever drugs they're giving me and soon I'll wake up, because no man has ever been as happy as I am right now and no man ever will be."

She laughed and felt her eyes well up. "Really?"

"Really. And what about you? Are you happy?" It was Niles' turn to look self-conscious.

"Yes! And I know it's not the drugs making me this happy, because pregnant ladies never get the fun drugs," she said, mock-glaring up at her IV bag. "I'm happy. I'm _so_ happy. _You_ have made me so happy, Niles. And I do want this baby. I never thought any of this would happen for me, and now that it has…I'm just…I can't believe it. In a good way, I mean."

"I know."

They exchanged smiles, both deliriously happy, when Dr. Taylor knocked at the door interrupting the moment. "How's the happy couple doing?"

"We'll be better once we can get the hell out of here." CC snapped impatiently.

Dr. Taylor laughed. "I figured. I come bearing good news. Niles, all your tests results came back great. Your heart is absolutely fine. It was probably just the shock of the news coupled with overheating in the gown in the delivery room."

"I told you," Niles groaned.

"Oh, thank god," CC sighed, her eyes once again filling with tears. "I'm sorry, it must be hormones," she said reaching for a tissue.

"Doctor, how is she?" Niles asked.

Doctor Taylor smiled. "Everything looks good. Her vitals are stable, she's keeping food and liquids down, and she's hormonal. She was probably just dehydrated from the morning sickness. Mom and baby are doing just fine."

At hearing "Mom and baby" CC grabbed another tissue and dabbed at her eyes.

"Oh thank god," Niles sighed and felt his own eyes well up. CC tossed him her tissue box. "Sympathy hormones," he muttered.

"So we're all okay?" CC asked for good measure.

"Absolutely," the doctor answered. "In fact….how would you like to see for yourself? We can do your first ultrasound."

The couple looked at one another, their eyes widening in excitement. "Yes, please," CC answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Niles sat up, the tangling of wires restricting him from going further. "Doc, you have to let me over there."

The doctor laughed. "I'll do ya one better."

He unlocked the brakes on Niles' bed and wheeled him over so he was right next to CC. Immediately, Niles' hand went out and grabbed hers.

"Okay, CC. this will feel a little cold," Dr. Taylor said as he squeezed the gel onto her abdomen and turned the ultrasound machine on. "Alright, here goes…"

They squeezed each other's hands at the same time as they both focused on the screen.

"There's your baby," the doctor pointed to the monitor.

"Our baby. Niles, that's _our baby_ ," CC said.

"Our baby," he repeated, and she tore her eyes away from the screen to grin back at him. "Can you believe we did that?"

"I can't believe there's no signs of devil horns," she quipped.

"Give it time, Rosemary."

She tried to glare at him, but the smile on her face betrayed her and he laughed.

"Everything appears to be measuring right along schedule," the doctor cut in.

"Of course it is. She's perfect," CC smiled blissfully.

"She?" Niles asked.

"Just a feeling," she shrugged.

"Well, _she's_ the most beautiful baby I've ever seen in my entire life," Niles said as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"She really is. She—" CC started, but was interrupted by a whooshing noise. "What's that?"

"That's the heartbeat." Doctor Taylor smiled at the matching looks of awe on the newlyweds' faces.

"Now _that_ is way more beautiful than _any_ wedding song we could have come up with." Niles said.

CC smiled softly and nodded in agreement.

The doctor printed out a copy of the sonogram, congratulated them again, gave them instructions for their discharge in the morning, and said goodbye.

As soon as the coast was clear, CC pushed the railings on both their beds down and moved over. "Get over here, Butler Boy. We may be stuck in a hospital, but I'll be damned if I'm sleeping alone on my wedding night."

Niles laughed and slid over to her bed, wrapping his arms around her as she melted into his embrace. "At least we didn't get stranded on a desert island on our wedding night."

"No, but I saw way more of Nanny Fine's anatomy than I would have hoped to have seen on my wedding day, or ever for that matter."

"And I plan on rectifying that as soon as we get settled in California," Niles declared. "Well, I plan on rectifying our ceremony. Mrs. Sheffield's dilating cervix will have to be a memory that fades with time. Maybe we could exchange rings on the beach?"

"Mmm, I like the sound of that. You know, I just realized something. We share a wedding anniversary with Maxwell and Nanny Fine. And their children's' birthday," she said it thoughtfully, not irritably like he would have expected from her, and she would have expected from herself.

He studied her face, trying to gauge her reaction. "Are you disappointed we have to share a day with so many other people?"

"You'd think I would be," she said through a yawn. "But we'll never be asked to babysit on their anniversary. It's not like they can go out on their kids' birthday, right?"

He laughed. "You're absolutely right. Plus they'll always be so busy they'll leave us alone that day."

"The gift that keeps on giving," CC murmured as her eyes fluttered closed.

Niles leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Get some sleep, Babcock. I love you."

"Mmm," she smiled. "I love you too."

With that, she turned over to her more comfortable side, letting Niles spoon her. She felt his hand land protectively on her abdomen.

"And I love you, too, little one," was the last thing she heard him say before she drifted off to sleep.

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 **The end!**


End file.
